Swift access to trustworthy information is critical for first responders, governments, and the general public during crises and other critical democratic moments. However, crises often present unique and heightened risks to the information space. During recent crises like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Tigray War in Ethiopia, and the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, for example, information manipulation, hate speech, and other malicious online content have shaped and exacerbated armed conflict and civil unrest.
Citizen participation is instrumental in promoting transparent and accountable government, and in fostering the norms that underpin a functioning democratic system. Democracy develops and deepens when citizens are active and exercise their right to be heard, and when they use organized, informed action to hold government accountable for making real improvements in people’s lives.
Human-centered design frameworks start by identifying who a product is for and then placing them at the center of the product strategy. The Co/Act toolkit adapts and expands this approach to design digital products, services, or campaigns through modular do-it-yourself style activities that are aggressively low cost, high impact, interdisciplinary, and focused on building the capacity of participants.